


frozen sun, burning moon

by neednoname



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Cheesy, Dragon Hanzo Shimada, Hunter Jesse McCree, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Secret Identity, Shapeshifting, american dragon au, might add more chapters but might not, mostly a bunch of oneshots set in au, possible side emily/tracer, side gencio, what is chronological order
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 07:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12743667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neednoname/pseuds/neednoname
Summary: Months ago, Jesse McCree told himself that the moment that interfering dragon was out of Deadlock’s way, he was finally going to ask out his best friend.Too bad that it wasn’t going to work that way.(an American Dragon-inspired AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An AU very loosely based off American Dragon so no actual knowledge from the show is needed :P.  
> Hanzo is sixteen in this, McCree is just under sixteen and Genji is thirteen!  
> (…I got really lazy with the tite but hush now)

The Azure Dragon had been a pain in Deadlock’s neck for quite some time now, being the proclaimed protector of magical creatures and all. For the past year, that just meant that Jesse had the luck of being the hunter assigned with taking it down.

It was a shame, Jesse thought. Despite everything, he had nothing against the beast itself. In fact, the hunter found the fights against the monster exhilarating. The thrill of a challenge, the adrenaline through his veins with every fired bullet, at every taunt exchanged between the two. For a flying lizard, it made for surprisingly cocky banter. The dragon gave this pretty shitty and dull life of poaching magical creatures a nice change of pace, even if it had thwarted every hunt Boss tried ever since Deadlock stepped onto its turf.

But being unable to take down a single dragon took a heavy toll on his reputation of being Silver Bullet of Deadlock. Not to mention the whole mess took a chunk out of his free time.

It was a shame it had to end.

Even now the dragon hissed out swears and bucked wildly against the restraints binding its limbs, forcing the hunters back.

It took months of planning, of alliances with other hunters even more bloodthirsty than Deadlock but they finally captured the “Guardian” along with its master.

Both dragons were taken to an old warehouse a few hours out of town, in a location so remote that it was unlikely for their allies to rescue them any time soon.

The enchanted manacle around its neck sealed the Guardian’s powers over storms and ability to fly but sparks of magic still surged around the dragon. Just goes to show how strong this one was.

The hunter turned to his leader. “What are we gonna do with it?” Honestly he dreaded the answer but it wasn’t his call. That honor was for Bennet, one of Deadlock’s three commanders. He knew her for most of his life and lived with her ever since Deadlock moved to this city.

She was a sadistic bitch, to put it politely.

The Azure Dragon grunted as the chain attached to its collar was suddenly tugged down, forcing the monster to bow its head.

Bennet hummed and circled around the dragon, easily avoiding its snapping jaws. “It _is_ a rather young one, won’t be too difficult to train. And it’d be nice to have something stronger than our dogs. It’d be ironic, wouldn’t it? After everything it has done…”

Jesse held back a shudder at the thought of those brown eyes glazed over and complacent.

But the other options would just end in its death or an even worse fate...

The blue dragon just let out a vicious snarl.

On the opposite side of the warehouse lay its companion, wearing the bulk of Deadlock’s seals for a good reason.

The unconscious Golden Dragon was significantly more powerful and experienced than the two younger dragons they had faced, forcing Deadlock to focus the majority of the attack on it.

Even if it were awake, it’d still be helpless against all the enchantments and with its heavy wounds, still bleeding profusely.

“...And what ‘bout this one?”

“Heh, like hell there’s a chance we’ll manage to get any use out of this monster alive. Finding a buyer rich enough will take months and chances are, it’d just take out another twenty of our men. There’s a point when it ain’t worth the higher share… Besides, the emerald one is still out there, it’d be easier to prepare a buyer by the time we capture it. Perhaps we can even use the Guardian to find its brother for us.”

 _“_ I will _tear_ you apart limb from limb, human!” the blue dragon roared and fought harder against the chains, its whole body trembling in rage and the ground shaking with each thrash. If looks could kill, then they all would be dead ten times over.

Bennet simply ignored it and glanced back at Jesse, tapping the golden dragon’s side with the back of her hand. “Don’t worry, kid, you can have the honor of taking down this one. Couldn’t have done all this without ya, McCree.”

Wait, what?

An opportunity to kill a dragon with a Commander as his witness? Hell, that’s basically telling him that he finally can move up the ranks, no longer forced to constantly do Deadlock’s dirty work.

He can finally pretend to have a normal life, pretend he could just be some ordinary kid...

Jesse drew his revolver.

The fury of the azure dragon vanished into horror although its efforts to struggle free only strengthened.             

But it begun begging by the time Jesse turned to face the golden dragon, his gun raised. “Don’t you dare-!“ Sparks of lightning flared up but were forced to fizzle out by the collar’s enchantment. “Don’t! _Please_!”

There was only desperation in its voice. The Guardian was so pitiful without the confidence and the pride it carried during their fights. The feeling of how _wrong_ this felt was like a blow to his chest. Jesse’s instincts screamed that he shouldn’t do this, that he would regret this for the rest of his life.

The Commander laughed. “Well then, now we have to kill it! The first step in breaking this one in...”

The hunter pushed back any second thoughts. The dragon must’ve influenced him with a weak thrall or something- why hesitate now when it’s nothing different from the other fucked up things he’d done his whole life? Do this and an almost normal life, hell maybe one with _him_ , would be in his reach.

(Only if he could ever forget about the captured blue dragon and the fate with Deadlock he had doomed it to.)

The hunter approached the monster slowly, ignoring the Azure Dragon’s pleading that had only raised in volume, only grew more frantic. Best to get this done quick and give the older dragon the mercy of an instant death.

“-Get away from him!”

He aimed carefully at the reversed scale at its throat and steadied his breathing. They’ve all heard enough stories dealing with these sort of dragons. If this shot didn’t kill it instantly then the dragon would kill _them_.

“Kill me instead!”

The dragon’s cries grew louder and louder and Bennet snarled in irritation. “I’m gettin’ real tired of its screechin’- will someone gag it already?!”

Jesse refused to look as one of the other hunters struggled with the dragon until it let out a gasp of pain and finally fell limp. The Azure Dragon barely had a chance to let out a sob before it was finally silenced.

“ _Otou-san..._ ”

Jesse froze.

 

_(“- Otou-san!” Hanzo protested._

_Joel had passed by the Shimada’s shop a couple of times, mostly when he went home after school with Hanzo but thinking about it, this was his first time actually entering the small empty store. Doesn’t seem to be the best timing though._

_Hanzo was faced away from the front door, busy yelling at the older man behind the counter. Genji was leaning against a wall, watching it all play out from the side. They all looked pretty serious and he was real tempted to wait outside until Hanzo cooled off. But he was already late as he was..._

_Bells jingled as the shop’s door creaked open causing Hanzo to immediately fall silent and the three turned towards the entrance. The older teen’s face went red before ducking it into the wide collar of his green funnel jacket. Cute._

_Joel was feeling mighty embarrassed himself as he made his way to the counter. “Uh… am I interrupting somethin’?”_

_“Yes,” Hanzo said quickly._

_“No,” his dad said with a wry smile._

_“Maybe,” piped in Genji._

_Joel’s first impression of Sojiro Shimada was passing by him at school just before a parent-teacher meeting with their bio teacher, Ms O'Deorain. He looked irritated, had a glare that could kill a man and a fancy ass suit you’d expect on a CEO or some other rich job, not an antiques store owner. It honestly matched his (definitely wrong) first impression of Hanzo._

_He never had a chance to talk to the man but now Sojiro was considerably more relaxed (if a bit tired looking), sleeves rolled up to reveal yellow dragon tattoos on both arms and exuding an aura that made Joel think ‘yup that’s Genji’s dad alright.’_

_He was a fella that allowed Hanzo to get a motorcycle back when he was definitely under-aged after all. A real fancy one to boot._

_“I… have an errand to take care of.” Hanzo shot a nasty glare at his dad that was simply brushed off with a shrug. Shop stuff this time, Joel guessed. “It may take a while, I apologise.”_

_He tried to hide the disappointment on his face. It was hard to get guaranteed free time from Deadlock and it was made worse with Hanzo’s own erratic schedule. Seemed like the other teen was constantly split between taking care of the shop, kendo and archery practice and making sure Genji didn’t get into trouble. The kid seemed real clumsy, only recently recovering from a broken arm._

_So he put on a smile. “Hey, I don’t mind waitin’.”_

_Interruptions were (frustratingly) normal at this point and hell, he had bailed on Han plenty of times before. No point in being a hypocritical ass and hurting him for no good reason._

_The boy looked relieved. “You can get started in my room. I will help you with the sections you have trouble with when I get back.”_

_“Sure thing.” That was a lie, he might take a nap. ...He was definitely gonna nap._

_Hanzo gave him a small smile before shooting another glare at his dad._

_Man, his pout was adorable._

_“I will return as soon as I can-”_

_“And I’ll be waitin’ for ya.”_

_A soft expression grew on Hanzo’s face before he spotted something behind Joel that made his cheeks flush red. With a stammer, he lifted his hand up for a quick wave bye before he ran out the door. So cute._

_Joel looked around the antique store. Considering its location and how it took so much of Hanzo’s time, it was weird that the shop was basically empty on a Saturday afternoon. Must be a pretty unlucky day. Old furniture, small statues, scrolls- Joel whistled, that was a real nice looking dagger in the glass case._

_“Joel Morricone, is that right?” Sojiro asked._

_Nope, not at all._

_“That’s right, sir.”_

_They shook hands and Sojiro chuckled. “You’re more polite than my sons had lead me to believe. So, a little sparrow informed me you and my eldest son have a… study date.” Genji stuck his tongue out._

_Suddenly the teen felt nervous. “Just for maths and sh- and stuff.” Don’t swear in front of your crush’s dad, fuck, what was wrong with him?_

_...Besides from the whole ‘spending his free time hunting down magical beings’ thing._

_The man was silent and Joel had the distinct feeling of being judged. After a while, Hanzo’s dad nodded. “Very well, you have my permission. I apologise for delaying it.”_

_Uh. ‘Permission’? “Thank you…?”_

_Genji gave his back a pat with a wide grin. “Congrats, Morricone! You have father’s approval and now can ride off to elope with my brother into the sunset or whatever cowboys do.”_

_Face warm, Joel laughed nervously. God he wished. Had to ask the brother in question out first._

_He was about to leave the two Shimadas when a buzz came from his jacket._

_A text..._

_His heart dropped. It was from his other phone._

_“I gotta use the toilet,” Joel blurted out and rushed up the stairs to the Shimada’s apartment without giving them a chance to react. Maybe he should’ve asked for permission before barging in. Yeah he was making a great impression on Sojiro._

_The moment he was out of sight, he checked his comm. Joel let out a heavy sigh. Just as he fucking guessed._

 

 **_> That fucking dragon is interfering with the Chisolm job_ ** **_  
_ ** **_> Get to the dropoff point ASAP_ **

 

_Damned dragon! And he tried so hard to plan that mission so Deadlock didn’t need him-_

_“You’re done so soon?”_

_Joel jumped at the sudden voice behind him. He wasn’t sure if he should bother answering. Genji already had a skeptical look on his face._

_Intense staring really was a Shimada thing, huh._

_“Er… yup! All done! So listen, I gotta go ‘cause...” What excuse could he pull out of his ass this time… “My aunt-”_

_“Urgh,” Genji crossed his arms with a huff. “What? She left her keys again? Forgot her lunch? Ooh, did she break her leg this time?”_

_Was Hanzo complaining about constantly being ditched to his brother? Joel swallowed and gave a weak chuckle. “Why are ya gettin’ pissed off all of a sudden?”_

_The younger boy scowled and broke eye contact. “Hanzo… he was really looking forward to this.”_

_Joel couldn’t help the bitter tone in his voice. “Well then, it’s a good thing he was already busy huh? I don’t have time for this- later, kid. Tell Hanzo not to wait up.”_

_He made his way back through the shop and judging by how it was now completely deserted, their dad left too._

_Joel barely heard Genji mutter over the chiming of the door’s bells._

_“...Isn’t it just convenient for the both you to be busy every time.”)_

 

“Oi, kid! We don't have all day!”

Jesse turned to the blue dragon. Brown eyes stared up at him with pure hatred.

“Hanzo.”

He had murmured it, barely audible under his breath but the whisper still made the beast recoil back in shock, stopped only by the chain’s length.

...That confirmed it then.

Jesse almost wanted to laugh. In hindsight, it was so obvious all along. How both teens were always busy whenever there was a hunt. The Azure Dragon’s and Hanzo’s matching injuries. Why the dragon had felt so familiar... He had ignored all the evidence and this was the price.

Jesse felt bile rise up in his throat- he was about to leave the boy he loved to rot in this hell, he was fucking about to kill his father right in front of him!

The hunter closed his eyes, a familiar warmth growing in his right eye.

This was likely the last mistake he’ll ever make.

The irritated murmurs of the other hunters rumbled behind him. Sick of waiting, Bennet reached for the gun held in his hand. “Fine! I’ll do it mysel-”

Six shots rang out.

And the six hunters dropped to the ground.

A wave of nausea hit Jesse like a brick, both from the flaring pain in his eye and the sight of his mentor’s corpse.

The dragon’s eyes darted to each fallen body before Hanzo gazed back at him, expression filled with disbelief and fear, and jerked back at the sound of Jesse reloading the revolver.

Hanzo was scared of him.

“Don’t move.”

The dragon flinched as the hunter shot the chains anchoring him to the ground. There wasn’t much Jesse could do for the shackles, he didn’t know the spell required to remove them, meaning his limbs were still restrained. Unsheathing the knife from his belt, Jesse quickly cut the rope binding his snout.

“Why?” Hanzo hissed out, watching him free the other dragon and finally holster his gun. “Why the change of heart, hunter?“ he demanded.

The dragon’s voice caught in his throat with a choke and his eyes went wide as Jesse lowered his scarf, revealing his face.

He remained as still as a stone as the hunter reached towards him and gently brushed his knuckles against his face.

“Joel…”

It just wasn’t meant to be, was it?

“That ain’t my name,” the hunter muttered roughly and pulled away.

How was he going to find a way to get Hanzo and his dad out of here?

The warehouse was hours away from the city. The van used to transport them here in the first place would be too conspicuous and even though he could match Jesse in riding a motorbike, it was unlikely that Hanzo knew how to drive one in the first place.

But the golden dragon was huge and impossible for them to carry without it-

Hanzo struggled to get closer to the unmoving form before hissing out an incantation. Jesse’s gut wrenched as a blinding light flared up and faded to reveal the familiar shape of the middle aged man. The shift into his human form allowed the man to slip out of his restraints but what solved one problem just caused another. The wounds inflicted on the older dragon only became worse with the shift, blood already staining his clothes red. He needed help immediately or else...

“Get him onto my back. Please.” Hanzo refused to look Jesse in the eye.

But there was no need to tell him twice.

He worked quickly, slicing his hunting coat into strips and in his haste, did the worst approximation of first aid in his life but it was better than nothing. Then after lifting the man onto the dragon, he used the remains of the rope to secure Sojiro to his son’s back.

With a hand on the dragon’s side to steady him, the hunter used the knife to carve deep marks into the runes marked on the dragon’s restraints, letting out a sigh of relief as the enchantment was disrupted, the purple glow of the shackles dimming considerably. Hanzo’s powers must still be limited but… “Can you fly now?”

He was answered by the long creature rising slightly into the air, a bit shakily but stable enough.

Good.

The gunshots must've been heard and there’d been far too many that anyone could tell that something went horribly wrong.

Even if he fled, it would be easy for Deadlock to deduce his betrayal. And they had no time, there were dozens of guards near the warehouse on standby. Reinforcements would be here any moment-

Yet the dragon stayed.

“You need to go now! I can’t run from them-” Jesse raised the brand of wings on his arm up so the dragon could see. “They’ll find me no matter where I try to hide.”

But Hanzo hesitated, somehow still conflicted.

“What are ya waitin’ for?! I’ll distract ‘em- just go!” he yelled. His chest tightened at the thought of Hanzo still giving a shit about him after all this but Jesse quickly shut that flicker of hope down. Hanzo couldn’t save him but he had to figure out how to delay Deadlock as long as possible. If he could lure the hunters through the front entrance, he would be in a position to hold out for maybe a few rounds before he was inevitably gunned down...

Jesse was the one who captured the two dragons in the first place and even before this, he had almost killed them countless of times. Seems fitting that he’d let them go at the cost of his own life.

From the instant he turned his gun on Deadlock, Jesse McCree was a dead man walking.

He closed his eyes. Almost made it to sixteen. Managed to pass all his classes somehow. Had a nice group of friends.

He met Hanzo.

Heh, that was a better run than Jesse had ever dreamed of.

Betraying Deadlock wasn’t the ending he’d expected but it sure as hell ain’t the worst way to go.

The hunter heard the clinking of chains as he picked up Bennet’s crossbow. Finally! Hanzo was going to get the hell out of here-

Claws dug into his back.

Jesse’s eyes widened as he was suddenly swept into the air. What the hell was Hanzo thinking?! They both knew the hunter was a living breathing tracking device!

But he had no time to protest before glass shattered and they were out of the warehouse.

Heart hammering in his chest, he looked down. Bennet’s remaining hunters were scattered around the warehouse’s perimeter, a group of three that lingered near the window had already spotted them. But they were still taken off-guard and didn’t alert the rest yet.

Without hesitation, Jesse readied up three bolts to the crossbow.

 

_(he can’t miss)_

 

And he fired the bolts in quick succession.

His eye _burned_.

Hanzo’s claws tightened around him as he let out a pained moan. But they were fine for the moment, all the hunters that saw them were quietly downed.

Hanzo gained speed. Judging from the direction, they were headed back towards the city. The dragon flew higher and higher until they reached the clouds, the wind howling in the hunter’s ears. They should be out of sight now.

He forced himself to stay awake despite feeling completely drained. This was the first time he had used Deadeye twice in a row, his vision was growing blurry and his head throbbed. The freezing cold didn’t help and Jesse felt himself growing limp in Hanzo’s grasp.

Glancing up, he could make out Sojiro’s shallow breaths. The Azure Dragon’s eyes were focused ahead of him.

Hanzo remained silent.

Maybe he was realising that his ‘best friend’ led to the capture and death of so many of his kind without remorse. Of so many that he spent his life trying to protect.

The ground was a long way down. Hanzo could let him fall.

He wouldn’t blame him if he did.

“I’m sorry.”

He flinched at the claws digging into his arms. “Don’t bother, McCree,” Hanzo’s reply was blunt.

The hunter took a shuddering breath as he felt his heart being crushed. He had wanted Hanzo to call him by his real name for so long-

But not with betrayal in his voice, not with such disgust.

 

Not like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (If I do end up writing more for this, it'd probably be more like a oneshot series rather than a regular fic? Might draw some stuff for this too!)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short second chapter prologue. The next two chapters should be up relatively soon after this though! ;D

After a childhood of being groomed to be the master of his clan, it was a surprise to say the least for Hanzo to be suddenly whisked away from his home to a foreign city on the opposite side of the world. A decision made by none other than his father.

 

(And so soon after his mother had been reported missing...)

 

It was just a big of a surprise to suddenly be told that his father was to be his dragon master as well, a far cry from the traditional methods the Shimada Clan followed to train their heirs.

Hanzo could not understand why he would take both brothers to the city that was once their estranged mother’s home. The elders had reassured him that she was a simple mortal, that her ties to the clan were not the reason for her disappearance. He could not understand why his father did not trust his own family.

The whole matter did not feel real, that it was more like a mere vacation, that they would return to Hanamura soon after a brief new experience and his life would return to how it was.

Genji took it all in stride, in fact excited by the abrupt change in their lifestyles.

 

Hanzo was not.

 

‘Everything will return to normal,’ he told himself as he attended school for the first time at the age of thirteen, after having private tutors all his life. It was midway through the school year and the other students already had their own friends, so he kept to himself, ignoring the whispers of the other teens. Ignoring the friends Genji easily made and frequently invited to their (too small, not home) apartment.

‘They would return to their true home soon,’ the boy told himself, lost in a city so different from the small quiet village, in a city where magic was kept a futile secret.

‘I will resume my regular training to become the master of my clan,’ he told himself as his father prepared him for a ridiculous role of a “Guardian”, one that couldn’t possibly be meant for a dragon. Protecting both the magic and mundane beings was one thing- attending to their trivial matters was something else entirely!

‘This was just a test,’ the dragon told himself but he could not get rid of the anxiety that his father had deemed him unworthy to be the master of the dragon clan, despite all of the elders claiming that Hanzo had shown great promise, despite father claiming he was proud of him--

 

(And it had turned out that his mother had been the city’s previous Guardian, a fact that confused him to no small regard. How would a mortal without magic be able to protect anyone? And if it was the cause of her disappearance then why did they stay? Why place his sons in the same role?)

 

While his father grew accustomed and Genji thrived with their new lives, the young blue dragon only hoped they would return home soon.

 

The brothers did not return to Hanamura.

Hanzo slowly accepted his role as the Guardian. Perhaps it was not so bad, he had grown much stronger, learnt much more than he had imagined.

Some part of him, deep deep inside, regretted not reaching out to others when he had the chance, longing for company from others besides his family. Away from the world of magic he had to dedicate his life to.

Another part of him felt it was for the best, he had no time for such frivolities between his training, his studies, his duties. His personal enjoyment paled in comparison. He had to be strong, he had to be perfect.

 

And Hanzo was fine with that.

 

(That was until an odd transfer student joined his class three years after.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Relatively soon means like 3 days! Don’t get used to it though :P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A study date… gods, Hanzo wished.

“...Will this continue to be ‘a thing’?”

“Only if you don’t mind,“ Joel replied with his tattered hat slanted over his closed eyes and a relaxed smile on his face.

Hanzo snorted. “I cannot believe our friendship was a lie, a devilish ploy to get into my bed.”

“Can’t blame me- it’s real comfy. Feels like I’m about t’ drift off any second now.”

Joel yelped as Hanzo violently shook his shoulders.

 

The first time he invited Joel to the apartment after finally gathering the courage was interrupted by Deadlock’s attempted attack on Underworld’s docks and further delayed by the arrival of that gunslinging hunter joining the fight. By the time he had returned to the apartment, it was far too late and Hanzo couldn’t blame his friend for leaving despite his promise, despite the disappointment he felt.

But now Genji was finally taking a share of responsibilities and Joel had gotten the weekend off from work for the first time in weeks! ...Just for him to nap.

Hanzo prodded his friend’s side. “I believed you wanted to do your homework.”

“Can I have your mattress if I do?”

“Of course not!”

“You drive a hard bargain, Han.” He idly fiddled with the Pachimari toy Genji got him last Christmas and let out another yawn.

Hanzo poked his side again. “Stay awake, Morricone, before I push you off.”

Joel shot up, hat slipping off. “I’m up, I’m up!” His brown hair mussed, he grinned at him sleepily and something fluttered in Hanzo’s chest.

Something flickered behind the teen. Something transparent. _Someone._

A ghost.

Oh no.

He dropped the other teen’s hat back on his head, earning a splutter. Locking eyes with the spirit, Hanzo jerked his head to the door, frantically gesturing it to leave the room. That fool was going to expose Hanzo and itself!

After far too long, it at last seemed to get the hint but not before knocking over Joel’s bag on its way out.

Eyes narrowed and alert, the teen immediately turned to his bag. “What was that?”

“Nothing! I did not see anything!” Hanzo was talking too fast, he was being too suspicious. “Oh! I left my dictionary in my brother’s room, excuse me!”

He jumped off his chair and darted towards the door just as Joel pointed at his desk. “But it’s just over there…” He dropped his hand weakly as Hanzo quickly left the room.

 

The ghost was hovering just outside the door and its head turned to the dragon, a relieved smile on its face.

“Ah! You’re the Guardian, correct-?”

“Move. Now.”

The ghost was roughly ushered down the hall, hopefully away from Joel’s earshot.

“If your matter is so urgent, seek my-” Creatures seeking his assistance were common but usually went to his father first, who decided whether it was worth Hanzo’s time and took care of most problems himself. However, father had returned home to Hanamura for a week so- “...my brother.” Genji had started his dragon training and, if all went according to plan, the brothers would officially share the mantle of Guardian in a few years. Meaning Hanzo could finally direct bothersome creatures straight to him. The green dragon can start with this, he could handle a single ghost by himself. Even if it meant the young brother had to leave a movie halfway through.

“No, I need the Guardian! Not an inexperienced child!”

He felt another spark of annoyance and had to bite back the insults lingering at the tip of his tongue.

Could he have a _single_ day where he could simply hang out with his best friend?!

...The world constantly said no.

The dragon sighed. Perhaps this matter could be resolved quickly. “Fine, what business do you have with me, spirit?”

“I need your protection! I… I rather not say why, but if I can have your services for the day, that is all I need!”

Was it assumed that he was simply a bodyguard for any magical being? “...I don’t have time for this-”

“But you’re just flirting with a boy!” the ghost recoiled in fear from the burning glare Hanzo gave it.

The floorboards creaked and the dragon’s hands smoothly shifted into paws, throwing the ghost through the closet door and hands quickly changing back to pull out his phone.

Joel peeked his head out from the bedroom.

“Hey, Hanzo?” he asked. “Who are you talking to? Thought the rest of your family was out.”

Hanzo pointed at the phone in his hand, not bothering to hide the very genuine irritation in his voice. “Genji called.”

“...That does explain why you sound so pissed.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll be done in just a few moments.” The moment Joel shut the door, the dragon hissed at the closet door. “You are to keep our existence a secret from all humans- if you return in two hours _then_ I shall heed your request.”

The ghost’s head poked out of the door and cried out in protest, “But-!”

“Two. Hours.” But the spirit _still_ hesitated. “Leave now or I will make the _Shinigami_ drag you to the afterlife!” Hanzo finally barked.

The spirit squeaked and phased through the wall, out of the apartment.

He could feel a painful headache building up. If Genji or father were there to witness that, they would have admonished him on his lack of tact.

 

Two hours.

...He should have demanded longer.

 

* * *

 

If it was not one of the three classes he shared with Joel, picking Literature as a subject would be Hanzo’s worst mistake of the year.

The previous year, he was told that the subject was taught by Mr Wilhelm, a giant of a man who had a penchant for the fantasy genre and that the class overall wasn’t stressful. It was too good to be true. As always, Hanzo went over all of his textbooks and assigned books during the holidays, long before the school year started.

Unfortunately it had turned out Mr Wilhelm had switched subjects to gym instead _and_ their current teacher had changed the previous year’s reading list to focus on a certain novel of heinous length. With Deadlock hunters recently operating in the city, Hanzo already did not have any spare time or energy, let alone any to read _that._

(...It did not help that Hanzo did not have the best of relationships with said Literature teacher. It would not surprise him if it had turned out that novel was selected purely to spite Hanzo.)

 

Joel casually flipped through the book as if it was nothing. “So the Brick, huh? Which chapter are ya up to?”

“...” It was not that he did not try, but Hanzo’s eyes had glazed over at each attempt. He could not believe that the other boy had read the _entire thing._

He looked surprised at his silence before he chuckled. “Well, I guess there’s guides on reading it for a reason. Don’t you worry your pretty head though, I’ll sum up all the important stuff for ya. It’s the least I can do after you saved my ass in Maths.” He rubbed his chin, lost in thought. “We could always try watching the movies first, not sure how much that’d help 'cause I’m pretty sure they cut most of the story out... Hey you’re into theatre, right?” He paused, glancing at his phone and grinned. “Then again, we could always watch the anime-”

“I will throw your phone out the window.” Joel laughed again.

Although, a musical production of the Brick  _was_ currently showing nearby, maybe Joel would like to join him… Ha, like either of them would have the time. Sighing in defeat, Hanzo bowed his head. He wished he hadn’t.

That damned spirit didn’t listen, it had returned and now half its head was peeking out from the floor!

He cleared his throat. “I-I’ll get some drinks.”

“Oh, uh, sure that’d be nice.”

Hanzo swiftly exited the room, taking care to make sure he stepped on the ghost’s head.

“I thought I told you to leave!” he hissed the moment he was sure the human could not hear him.

The ghost looked terrified and could not stop stammering. He growled, far beyond his patience’s end.

“Speak clearly or don’t bother at all!”

“I-it’s here!”

 

_Thud!_

 

Oh no.

He raced downstairs, heart pounding in his chest. There were very few creatures filled with malicious intent that could bypass his father’s protective charms--

His jaw dropped at the sight of the creature that invaded the apartment. Taking up half of the kitchen, was a black shapeless form with glowing white eyes, secreting a dark thick ectoplasm.

Hanzo turned towards the ghost in shock. “You managed to anger a _grudge_?!”

“I-i-it was a small mi-mistake, honest-!”

The ghost’s pathetic excuses was interrupted by a cry as the furious spirit charged straight towards them, its focus completely on the ghost.

As easy as breathing, Hanzo transformed from a human to a dragon. The dragon darted between the two, keeping his balance despite the thick ooze that covered the kitchen tiles, his lightning magic forcing the grudge to halt in its path.

Its maw opened wide, about to let out a roar. The ghost looked like it was about to scream.

“Be quiet, the both of you!” Hanzo hissed out.

The ghost covered its mouth with its hands, nodding frantically. The grudge looked confused.

The dragon took advantage of the spirit’s dropped guard to leap forwards and wrap around it, pinning its limbs to its sides and restricting its movements.

The grudge started to growl-

Hanzo quickly clamped its jaws shut between his claws and flinched at the muffled voice coming from upstairs.

“Han? Y’ doin’ alright? You’re taking an awful long time... and what was that noise?”

“I am fine!” Hanzo grunted as the enraged ghost thrashed in his grip, throwing them against the kitchen counter. “The… refrigerator’s door broke!

“Shit, you need help?”

He could hear the human starting to move downstairs. He was _not_ going to explain the sight of a dragon wrestling an enraged spirit with a ghost cowering in the corner.

“No! I mean…” He held back another grunt as the grudge freed a limb to strike the dragon’s side. “I have already fixed it!”

“...Okay then.” Joel sounded uncertain. “Let me know if ya need any help!”

Hanzo sighed as the footsteps retreated back to his room. The instant he heard the muffled sound of a door closing, the dragon slammed the grudge against ground, dazing it for a moment. And a moment was all he needed.

Claws charged up with electricity, he slammed them against the grudge’s middle. It let out a low groan as it fell limp.

And in one smooth movement, Hanzo tossed the grudge out the window into the alleyway.

The dragon stood there, panting. He was covered in ectoplasm and it felt _disgusting_ . Gods, Hanzo _hated_ dealing with grudges.

The trembling ghost unwisely approached him. “Th-thank you, Guardian!”

“I do not care. Get. Out.”

Genji had once claimed that his glares could kill. ‘Perhaps it was lucky that this spirit was already dead,’ he thought as the ghost let out one last terrified yelp and fled the apartment.

He allowed himself to shift back into his human form and groaned as he felt at his side. It was likely going to bruise but at least he was rid of the goo.

He still had to take care of this grudge before it manifested once more. But he had spent enough time dealing with this mess, he would have to make Joel leave before the human became too suspicious. He could call Genji over but that would take far too long for him to get here from the cinema.

Although...

Hanzo carefully moved towards the refrigerator (the tiles were still covered in ooze, he will make Genji clean it up later) and pulled out his phone. He quickly scrolled through the contacts list, finger hovering over the call button.

...On second thoughts, kicking Joel out may be preferable to this.

He tucked his phone against his ear as he quickly grabbed Genji’s soda cans from the fridge and headed back upstairs.

“Mr Reyes.”

“Shimada,” the literature teacher answered back. “I’m guessing this isn’t a school matter.”

“I am asking for a favour. Finishing off a grudge to be precise.”

Hanzo wanted to hang up the moment he heard the smug tone. “Not something a dragon can’t take care of. Besides, I believe a Guardian once claimed that ‘the Reapers of this city were unneeded with dragons around’.”

He… he did say that when he first met Reyes, didn’t he?

The teacher continued with a sigh. “If that’s all, I’ll be hanging up now-”

“Wait!”

“...”

Hanzo sighed in defeat. He really did not want to make this offer. “I will... join your drama club. _Only_ for one play. And no major roles.”

It was as if he had flipped a switch and Mr Reyes’ voice became eerily cheerful. “It’s at your old man’s antique shop, right? I’ll be there in five. And hey, I’ll bump your last essay up a grade. Next meeting is Tuesday lunch in the theatre, try to get there early.” he said before hanging up.

The dragon leaned against the kitchen bench, massaging his temples. Why was a Reaper a high school teacher of all things? One so easily bribed as well...

 

Hanzo opened the door to his room to find Joel lying on his bed, reading and idly twirling a highlighter between his fingers. He sat up as Hanzo reentered, a wide smile on his face and the dragon’s face flushed red.

“Y’know, I ain’t too bad with my hands.” Hanzo was sure of that. “I could’ve helped ya.”

Hanzo shook his head. “It was simply a trivial matter.”

“Hey,” Joel grabbed his wrist and Hanzo tensed up. The other boy looked so serious. “Don’t let that stop you from asking for help.” His expression went back to easygoing and Joel let go of his hand. “Now about the Brick-”

The dragon glanced at the current bane of his life on Joel’s lap and resisted the urge to give it the same treatment as the grudge. He was so tired.

“Move aside, Joel.”

“What? Hey, you said I can sit here!”

“I do not care, need it now.”

Hanzo dropped the soda cans, nudged the teen to the side and slumped over the bed with a groan, legs dangling off the edge. Both his side and head continued to throb.

“...May I join ya?”

Yes, please.

“If you wish.”

The bed shifted from Joel’s weight as he shuffled sideways on the sheets, stretching his arms out with a yawn.

“So much for Lit, then?” Joel teased.

He grunted back. “Fuck Literature.” That earned a chuckle. Hanzo will just convince him to give a quick summary afterwards in return for stealing half of his bed.

He did not want to move, yet at the same time he did not want to waste his remaining time with his friend doing nothing.

The two stared at the ceiling. Joel’s arm brushed against his own, pleasantly warm and it was so difficult to resist the urge to press close to him.

It was comfortable…

“Joel?” The other teen let out a hum. “I am sorry for wasting your time.”

His reply was immediate. “It’s no waste. I like hanging out with you, y’know that.”

Hanzo quickly turned away, all too aware of the blush forming on his cheeks and his heart hammering in his chest. He did not deserve a friend like him.

They stayed silent and slowly his eyes slipped closed.

 

He listened to Joel’s steady breathing, unable to help but feel completely at ease, quickly slipping into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (“Dad! Holy shit! HANZO SLEPT WITH JOEL!”  
> “Oh. That was faster than I expected.”  
> “What?! No, not like that!”  
> “THEY SPOONED, DAD! THEY SPOONED!!!”)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out of all the ways Hanzo imagined he could have fallen doing his duties, this was rather… anticlimactic.

“Not interested in skinning me alive this time, hunter?”

“I’m not in charge of what happens to our targets, just the hunting. Was supposed to be off the clock today anyway so I’m just as happy to be stuck here as I assume you are. You know, _before_ the place collapsed.”

 

Hanzo couldn’t let his guard down regardless.

 

Father had received reports of minor earthquakes throughout the area and the two of them quickly pinpointed the source far in the outskirts of the city. A _namazu_ , a legendary catfish Hanzo had only heard of from stories. A giant that could shake the earth with just the slightest movement.

But as always, they were not the only ones searching for it. Before father could calm the being down, the Deadlock hunter arrived and the ensuing fight was enough to send the giant catfish into frenzy. Hanzo had faced off against McCree, trying to stall while Genji and father evacuated the kobolds from the nearby village to safety before attempting to pacify the _namazu_. The Guardian had managed to corner the Deadlock hunter far from his family and the rampaging catfish.

It was an apartment building, long abandoned before completion and already weakened from the tremors. One more earthquake was enough to bring the whole place down. With them inside.

 

Trapped under rubble.

Trapped with a sworn enemy.

 

He closed his eyes, mind running through father’s intel on his foe of the past few months.

Jesse McCree. Deadlock’s Silver Bullet, an odd but fitting title. A high victim count, of both missing and dead, even when he was clearly still young, even when the hunter did not seem to take his job seriously.

What type of organisation was Deadlock to turn children into kidnappers and murderers?

But the information they had gathered on McCree was lacking. The hunter never showed his entire face and what was uncovered was normally shadowed by his hat. Nothing confirmed whether “Jesse McCree” was his real name or not. McCree was a mystery, a low ranking member of Deadlock yet clearly skilled, far beyond ordinary hunters, with a mind for strategy and ties to the high levels of the organisation. 

 

Fortunate that the collapse did not crush them outright.

Unfortunate that any attempts to dig themselves out only made matters worse, no matter how carefully they tried.

So the dragon and hunter had done nothing but wait in the dark wreckage ever since. Despite managing to sprain the hunter’s ankle during their fight, the dragon pressed against the walls as far from where the hunter lay as he could.

The small pocket in the collapsed building and the size of his current form meant that still did not leave much space between them. Hanzo was forced to keep himself coiled up for what must have been hours. Neither of the other two dragons had found them yet. Did they even know that Hanzo was in trouble or did they assume that the Azure Dragon could take care of himself, as he always could?

(He couldn’t fight back the feeling of helplessness--)

At least the hunter had been quiet until now.

 

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance of you going into your... other form? Less chance of your squirming bringing the place down on us.” ‘Other form.’ The dragon snorted. As if it was impossible for the hunter to think of him as a human. Humanising targets must make it difficult to slaughter them later on.

“Not on your life.”

It would be pitch-black for a human but Hanzo did not doubt that the hunter’s eyes had adjusted to the dark by now. If not, all he needed was the light from a phone or torch to see the dragon’s true face. He could see the hunter’s head swing towards his direction, anger plain on his face.

“Well it might be _both_ of our lives-!”

The two froze as another tremble wracked the ruins. The single pillar keeping the rest of the building from falling looked more and more fragile the longer the Guardian looked at it. He forced himself to drag his gaze away but couldn’t ignore the growing cracks in the stone.

Instead he locked eyes with McCree. Hanzo hissed at the hunter, “I will not risk the safety of my family and friend for either of us.”

“Well, _I’ve_ got someone I want to keep living for and I sure as hell want to see him again!” McCree snarled back, unable to hide his desperation. “I… I can’t just disappear on him--”

The dragon flinched. With his duties to protect magical beings, death had always been a possibility but he had never allowed his thoughts to linger on that fact. The several tons of concrete above them now made it hard to think of anything else. Father and Genji would be fine without him, Hanzo knew that fully well. Despite his laziness and inexperience, Genji’s magic and personality were truthfully more suited for a Guardian than his own and his family was strong. They could get past the loss of the blue dragon.

But… but if he died now, would Joel ever know what became of him? That Hanzo had suddenly disappeared one day, leaving his friend with nothing else to do but move on and eventually forget--

No.

Not now. He could not afford to show weakness in front of his enemy of all people.

Instead, the dragon raised an eyebrow mockingly and sneered. “Your boyfriend approves of terrorising innocent beings?”

“That’s some way of putting my job.” The hunter bowed his head, the rim of his hat hiding his eyes from sight and his voice lowered to a murmur. “And nah, he doesn’t know. Doesn’t know about how important he is to me either…” The mournful tone snapped to an irritated one and the hunter grumbled, “Why the hell am I tellin’ _you_ this?!”

“Perhaps it is due to the fact that we may be crushed to death at any moment?” Hanzo said dryly.

“Just... just shut up.” There was a light as the hunter pulled out his phone and looked back down. Presumably at a photo of that boy. Hanzo couldn't care less and made no effort to take a glance.

Instead he rested his head on top of his paws, resisting the urge to flick his tail. It was horribly cramped and the strain of remaining in the same awkward position for so long caused his entire body to ache.

He thought about what the hunter had said, feeling unnerved about how uncomfortably similar their circumstances were. Joel had no clue about what Hanzo really was nor how he felt about him either. The Guardian had always assumed it was for the best, with his oath to keep magic and the city’s Underworld a secret and the small fear that his friend would abandon him if he ever found out. The fear that hunters would use Joel against him if they found out about him.

Genji may have told a few of his friends the truth but Hanzo could not. He only had Joel. And he was someone outside of the dragon’s responsibilities, someone he could simply _relax_ around. Someone the dragon never dreamed of having ever since he assumed the role of the city’s Guardian. And Hanzo never wanted to risk losing that. He never wanted to risk losing _him_.

He wanted to see him again.

But there was no point in worrying now if he was just going to be buried under a pile of rocks.

The hunter had claimed there was no signal soon after the earthquake. And Hanzo was not going to risk shifting back to check his own phone.

‘Besides,’ a grim thought came to the dragon, ‘he had a much higher chance surviving the inevitable cave-in compared to the human.’

Strange how they both feared a fallen building more than facing ferocious creatures or merciless hunters.

 

Hanzo’s senses were stronger as a dragon and he could feel the air growing thin, hear the shallow ragged breathing coming from the hunter.        

“Won’t you remove your scarf? It would certainly make it easier to breathe.”

McCree tugged the cloth higher over his face instead. “Only if you decide to shift forms. Until then, no can do Azzy. And who’s t’ say you’re not taking all the air?”

His mane bristled at the stupid nickname. “My kind does not require oxygen like humans.” In this form at least. Creatures like him were fueled by the energy of the earth and unlike the hunter, the dragon could not be anymore alert. Odd. The hunter should know that full well.

There was more than the slow suffocation draining McCree. He seemed… unfocused, perhaps more severely injured from their fight than Hanzo had thought. From what little of his face that was visible, he could tell that it was drenched in sweat and that his eyes were clenched tight in pain. His hand rested on the sheathed dagger at his belt, rubbing his thumb against the hilt as if to reassure himself. It appeared that the weapon was almost as treasured as his revolver.

Hanzo flinched at the sudden agonized cry and McCree curled up over himself, hand clenching his forearm.

“What’s wrong?!”

“Heh. You’re feeling concerned for me all of a sudden?” McCree breathed out with a chuckle.

The dragon shrank back. The human was his enemy so why… why did he want to help the hunter so badly?

His thoughts were distracted by a white glow. It was coming from McCree’s left arm, visible from under his sleeve despite the heavy trench coat, and the hunter gave another strained laugh.

“Looks like it’s bad news for you, Azure. Deadlock’s found us.”

Another tremor hit the building and a large cloud of dust rained over the hunter.

“Then again, they might not make in time…” he whispered, voice breaking with his last word.

And McCree closed his eyes.

Rubble fell--

Hanzo cried out at the sharp pain that pierced his back. Gritting his fangs, he held his ground, claws digging into the ground as he shielded the human from the rubble. Not unbearable but it was only matter of time before the rest fell...

McCree could only stare up at him, eyes wide.

He let out an almost hysterical chuckle. “Y’sure that’s smart? Saving your enemy?” he said with a strained voice.

Hanzo’s eyes screwed shut at the rocks stabbing against his scales. He did not think… it was almost as if his body moved on its own. “You’re ‘off the clock’, are you not?”

The hunter blinked and looked away from the dragon. “Heh, I… I guess so…”

He became quiet. Hanzo steadied himself and focused on his breathing, a futile attempt to calm himself and ignore the white glow coming from the hunter. Being crushed or holding out long enough to be found and captured by Deadlock… _damn_ , was there no way out of this?!

The guardian glanced underneath himself where the hunter lay. He was limp, unmoving. Was he unconscious or…?

Hanzo growled as the weight on his back increased and sounds of shifting rubble grew louder, his limbs violently shook, about to buckle under the strain. This… this was not good--

 

Hanzo flinched at the sudden light from his side- sunlight!

A green dragon peeked through the small gap where Hanzo was curled up only moments before.

“Over here!” the Guardian yelled.

“Brother! You’re alright!” Hanzo let out a sigh of relief as a cold but harsh and howling wind lifted the burden off his back. Genji’s brow furrowed, the young dragon deep in concentration as he held the wreckage steady in the air as Hanzo carefully shuffled out into the open, nudging the hunter underneath along with him. The surprise he felt at the sheer amount of debris was quickly replaced by fierce pride. His brother’s control over his magic had improved impressively over the past few months. The slabs of concrete were dropped with a loud _thud_ the moment Hanzo was out of the wreckage.

“It’s good to see you.”

The green dragon snorted. “That’s definitely new for you. Dad managed to calm the _namazu_ , so c’mon let’s go…” Genji’s words trailed off as he noticed the hunter carried with his front leg.

He tensed up as Hanzo dragged McCree far away from the ruins as possible.

“He was with you the _whole_ time-? Are you alright!? Why did you save him?” Hanzo remained silent, finally laying the hunter down. Genji huffed at the lack of answers but blinked as an idea came to him. “What about his mask? We might not get another chance!”

Oh. Hanzo’s paw hovered over the unconscious hunter’s face. It would be so effortless, it could get the hunter out of their way once and for all.

 

A life outside of their responsibilities.

 

Hanzo moved away from him. “No. We have no time for this.”

The emerald dragon looked like he was about to protest but stopped and sighed. “I really don’t get you sometimes.”

He… he did not understand himself either. Was it simply pity? Hanzo only hoped he won’t regret this decision.

His younger brother nudged him gently. “Let’s go, brother. We need to take care of your injuries.”

Hanzo let energy wash over him as he shifted back into a human and dragged himself up onto two feet. He held back a groan at the flare of pain shooting down his spine and clumsily climbed onto Genji’s back.

“Careful! Lucky that school’s on break, huh Hanzo?”

Something bitter twisted in his stomach. He had always hated having to cover up absences from classes and having to hide injuries but...

“I suppose so.”

 

He wanted to see Joel soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The follow-up chapter to this might be a bit short but uni work is starting to pile up again so it'll be a while :P


End file.
